We’ve got lots of ground to cover but first—there’s something I’d like you to do—actually, two things. First, over at Bitten by Books they’re running a poll—favorite paranormal author for 2009. Believe it or not, I’ve been nominated. Here’s where I need your help. Click through on this link and vote. You have two votes, hopefully one will be for me. This is the last round and the deadline is Sunday. Here are the winners of the first three rounds:

Second short detour, for all of you who have wanted to see Felix and Anna get together, here’s your chance. Romance University asked us to do a he said/she said scene. Take a look and tell us what you think.

Okay, on to the real reason you stopped by:

Now that it’s pretty much been determined that the Balloon Boy story was a hoax, what else has been happening? There’s lots of Whedonverse goodies to share.

Starting a week ago, four major broadcast networks — ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox — began slipping service messages into more than 60 shows. It’s the centerpiece of I Participate, a multiyear effort to encourage Americans to volunteer led by the Entertainment Industry Foundation — Hollywood’s leading charity.

And ever wonder what comics Joss Whedon reads? The answer from Kirkmania:

In Joss Whedon we trust—his "Season Eight" of the comic book version of Buffy The Vampire Slayer has been nothing short of transcendent. So we asked the writer extraordinaire, "What comics do you still find the time to read in your ridiculously insane schedule ?" Turns out it’s a short list. Very short.

Upon this pedestal sits only The Walking Dead, the incredibly depressing and compelling zombie saga written by Image’s Robert Kirkman. "That is the only comic I still read—literally," reveals Whedon, who added that when he first picked up the book he "paced myself because it was deep into the trades by then and I only let myself buy one trade a week, for a few weeks before I broke down because it was my favorite soap opera."

So yeah, we could’ve left it there. But instead we called up Kirkman for his reaction. "That’s way awesome," says Kirkman who also adds, only half-jokingly we think, that he’d love to hear from the revered writer sometime. "I really respect Joss’s work and he’s done all kinds of fantastic stuff with Buffy and Angel and I love that Serenity movie. And I just bought Dollhouse on DVD. It’s really validating to know that someone whose work you admire is reading your work."

The Walking Dead is an American monthly black and white comic published by Image Comics beginning in 2003. The comic was created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore (replaced by Charlie Adlard from issue #7 onward, Moore continued to do the covers until issue #24) and chronicles the travels of a group of people trying to survive in a world stricken by a zombie apocalypse. A television series was announced to be in production on August 11, 2009.

Google Editions, a new platform to be launched by Google next year, "will let readers buy books and read them anywhere on gadgets ranging from cell phones to possibly e-book devices," the Associated Press reported.

"It will be a browser-based access," said Tom Turvey, head of Google Book Search's publisher partnership program. "The way the e-book market will evolve is by accessing the book from anywhere, from an access point of view and also from a geographical point of view. . . . Google Editions allows retail partners to sell their books, especially those who haven't invested in a digital platform. We expect the majority (of customers) will go to retail partners not to Google. We are a wholesaler, a book distributor.”

I won’t beat this dead horse, but from Shelf Awareness:

Target joined the pre-order bestseller price war, though in more limited fashion. They're matching Walmart.com's $8.99 offer with free shipping included, but on just six November pre-order titles. Boulder Bookstore buyer Arsen Kashkashian has suggested via Twitter that fellow indies cancel their publisher pre-orders on these deep-discounted forthcoming titles and take advantage of their competitors' loss leaders. Bookstores will save money, he reasons, while helping Amazon and Walmart.com lose more.

But—after suffering estimated losses of $40 million due to the alleged negligence of her accountants and business advisers—Cornwell is taking the nonlethal approach, and simply suing.

The famed crime writer claims that Anchin, Block & Anchin LLP—a blue-chip New York financial-management firm that specializes in “privately held businesses and high net worth individuals,” including such celebrities as Robert De Niro—mishandled not only her own money, but that of her spouse of two years, Harvard neuroscientist Staci Gruber. Their home state of Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage in 2004.

Cornwell’s lawyer told me she ruefully recalls a conversation she had several years ago with Oprah Winfrey, when both found themselves sitting together on a dais. “They were chatting about various things, and Patricia was inquiring about Oprah’s business practices. And Oprah said to Patricia, ‘I have one guiding principle: Always sign your own checks.’ Patricia says she wished she had lived by that advice. She will from now on.”

Are you watching Castle? How about that book thing? That book the character, Richard Castle, wrote, Heat Wave? You can buy it on Amazon. Here’s the product description:

A New York real estate tycoon plunges to his death on a Manhattan sidewalk. A trophy wife with a past survives a narrow escape from a brazen attack. Mobsters and moguls with no shortage of reasons to kill trot out their alibis. And then, in the suffocating grip of a record heat wave, comes another shocking murder and a sharp turn in a tense journey into the dirty little secrets of the wealthy. Secrets that prove to be fatal. Secrets that lay hidden in the dark until one NYPD detective shines a light.

Mystery sensation Richard Castle, blockbuster author of the wildly best-selling Derrick Storm novels, introduces his newest character, NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat. Tough, sexy, professional, Nikki Heat carries a passion for justice as she leads one of New York City's top homicide squads. She's hit with an unexpected challenge when the commissioner assigns superstar magazine journalist Jameson Rook to ride along with her to research an article on New York's Finest. PulitzerPrize-winning Rook is as much a handful as he is handsome. His wise-cracking and meddling aren't her only problems. As she works to unravel the secrets of the murdered real estate tycoon, she must also confront the spark between them. The one called heat.

About the AuthorRichard Castle is the author of numerous bestsellers, including the critically acclaimed Derrick Storm series. His first novel, In a Hail of Bullets, published while he was still in college, received the Nom DePlume Society's prestigious Tom Straw Award for Mystery Literature. Castle currently lives in Manhattan with his daughter and mother, both of whom infuse his life with humor and inspiration.

Now is this not the ultimate TV/book tie-in? Reminds me of Jessica Fletcher whose Murder She Wrote mysteries are still coming out. And the blurb is hilarious if you’ve been watching the show. So, who really wrote the book? Stephen Cannell? He’s one of “Castle’s” poker buddies and he has a blurb on the back of the book, praising the author...

(Photo from TVpopcrunch.com)

Maybe Nathan Fillion will show up at signings!!!! We’d all show up for that, too, wouldn’t we?

BTW, Heat Wave is #6 on the Amazon bestseller list!!!

And now, for all my James Marsters fans-- Samantha Sommersby sent this to me-- her sonand our boy taken at DragonCon this year... Great pic!!!

One last thing: a great video interview with pal Charlaine Harris on CNN:

Great entry, Jeanne. I am going to have to go back later to read the Anna/Felix scene. :)

I refuse to buy any books from Walmart, since I found out that they have a lot of pull with publishers on cover approval. They are NOT a bookstore, and given their penchant for censorship, I will not give them my money for books.

Great pic of James and Samantha's son, whose name escapes me at this moment.

And yes, Nathan Fillion at signings -- I'm there. :) My husband and I both love the show.

Love the Anna/Felix scene. Haven't managed to ctach Dollhouse or Castle (or Vampire Diaries) Sigh. The tot says "hi." From the tot files. Tot puts in fake vampire teeth from the pinanta, then hands them back to me. "Mommy, they're not sharp!" LOL~Suzanne and the tot

Also, that was a really good interview with Charlen Harris. You don't see enough author interviews - especially genre writers.

On a complete diferent sid note, the second season of Blood Ties (the cancelled vamp show based on Tanya Huff's Blood Books) was finally released a couple of weeks ago and I ACTUALLY SAW IT AT WALMART. No joke. Hardly anyone gave it the time of day when it was on the air, but now it is at Wally World. I had already ordered my copy online but that made me very happy inside to see that.

Jeanne: Thank you for the Spike fix and especially the link to the Charlaine Harris interview. It's so cool to finally hear her voice.

I voted for you and Kat Richardson yesterday.

I will get Richard Castle book when it comes out as MPB probably. I wish the show came on earlier or I'd get more time on Hulu so I could catch up. I'll ask DH for the first season for Christmas or birthday. As well as season 4 of Bones.

That is one cool 'he said/she said' between Felix and Anna.

Everyone would be wise to take Oprah's advice of signing your own checks.

I continue to do my best to purchase my books from the indie bookstores. I will go to B&N from time to time and Amazon occasionally.

Hey Vickie-- glad you enjoyed the post. Writing the Felix/Anna scene was really fun and after all the times Felix came sniffing after Anna, when they were finally together in the same room, he bailed on her! Guess we know why...he KNEW she'd be too much for him...

As an avid reader, I was disturbed to say the least by the announcements from Walmart and Target that they were going to price books so low. Its not enough they've killed off all the little mom & pop stores...now they're going after everything else.

There isn't any place in the world I'd rather be than browsing titles in a bookstore. The smell of new books, the feel of the paper under my fingers, the quiet of so many people all looking for just the right story...sigh.

I, for one, don't give a sh*t how cheap the books are at those evil monstrosities, I'll still buy my books at a higher price at the local bookstore for the sheer enjoyment of being there.

unseelieme, the low cost books were great for me when I bought the Twilight series b/c I saved a LOT of money on something I didn't plan to keep. For everything else though? I completely agree with you. When I want a book I will check on Amazon to see if it has been released yet, and then I go to the local bookstore and ask them to order it for me. I end up paying more (cover price) but it supports them. It's my way of contributing to their business and doing my small part to help them turn a profit and stay open so that I can be there twice a week.